Technology
Deal focus: Chatbots position for cross-border expansion
Cathay Innovation, an affiliate of Cathay Capital, sees voice recognition services as a key area of B2B growth. Singapore’s AI Rudder is hoped to prove this idea on a global scale
Flexibility first: Investing in the future of work
Investment in work-tech has soared as start-ups devise solutions for workforces that are increasingly distributed in terms of location, structure, and practice. Data, and knowing what to do with it, is key
China 3D content platform Xverse raises $120m
Xverse, a Shenzhen-based 3D user-generated content platform has raised USD 120m across a Series A and a Series A extension, led by GL Ventures and Sequoia Capital China, respectively.
Korean metaverse player closes Series A, hits $807m valuation
VA Corporation, a Korean virtual content provider that is positioning itself as a metaverse platform, has achieved a valuation of KRW 1trn (USD 807m) on closing a KRW 100bn Series A round.
Tiger Global leads Series A for New Zealand's ArchiPro
Tiger Global Management has led a NZD 35m (USD 24m) Series A round for New Zealand’s ArchiPro, a platform that connects homeowners with interior design and construction professionals.
India's Byju's raises $800m at $22b valuation
Indian education platform Byju’s has raised USD 800m at an estimated valuation of USD 22bn, with the company’s founder Byju Raveendran providing USD 400m.
Source Code leads Series B for China's Fair Robotics
Fair Robotics, a China-based collaborative robot developer, has raised a USD 50m Series B round led by Source Code Capital.
Singapore financial crime AI start-up gets $40m
Singapore’s Silent Eight, a compliance and financial crime risk investigation platform, has raised a USD 40m Series B round led by US-based TYH Ventures.
Farallon calls on Toshiba to reconsider PE buyout
Farallon Capital Management, a minority shareholder in Toshiba Corporation, has called on the company to reconsider bringing in a private equity investor amid mounting opposition to a two-way spinoff.
China's Cloudview reaches $316m first close on renminbi fund
Cloudview Capital, a Chinese GP that previously operated as a joint venture with ICBC International, has completed a first close on its second renminbi-denominated Fund with CNY 2bn (USD 316m) in commitments.
China smart text processing start-up raises $92m
Data Grand, a China-based specialist in text recognition and processing robotics, has raised CNY 580m （USD 92m）in Series C round featuring China Merchants Securities, CITIC Securities, GF Securities, and China Securities.
India fintech player Money View gets $75m Series D
Money View, an India-based financial technology start-up involved in lending, card issuance, and buy now, pay later products (BNPL), has raised US 75m in Series D funding at a valuation of USD 625m.
Singapore's Cake DeFi launches $100m corporate VC arm
Singapore-based decentralised finance platform Cake DeFi has earmarked USD 100m for a venture capital program that will target web3, gaming, and financial technology start-ups globally.
Tiger Global, Coatue lead Series B for Singapore's AI Rudder
Tiger Global Management and Coatue Management have led a USD 50m Series B round for Singapore-based voice artificial intelligence start-up AI Rudder.
China's Pony.ai hits $8.5b valuation with Series D
Chinese autonomous driving technology supplier Pony.ai has closed the first tranche of a Series D round at a valuation of USD 8.5bn. This represents a 65% increase from the Series C.
AVCJ Awards 2021: Deal of the Year – Mid Cap: Danggeun Market
A social, hyperlocal overlay has made Korea’s Danggeun Market a subversively complex e-commerce play. As the company scales and experiments, it reflects new confidence in its home market
Deal focus: Inspiration snares rare China mid-cap tech buyout
Antute, a third-party IT maintenance provider, became an orphan asset following a larger M&A deal. Inspiration Capital Partners sees it as an attractive play on China’s digitalisation drive
Deal focus: Freemium works for Dianxiaomi
China cross-border e-commerce services platform Dianxiaomi has achieved traction, and profitability, by only charging for value-added services. Its Series C will fuel global expansion
India's CredAvenue sees 3x valuation jump in six months
Indian small business credit platform CredAvenue has raised a USD 137m round featuring B Capital Group at a valuation of USD 1.3b, up 3x in the past six months.
Korean GP Credian sponsors $200m US SPAC offering
Seoul-based private equity firm Credian Partners has teamed up with CrystalBioSciences, a captive VC unit of biopharmaceutical company CrystalGenomics, to raise USD 200m for a US-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
Accel raises $650m for seventh India fund
Accel Partners has raised USD 650m for its seventh India VC fund, which will also make early-stage investments in Southeast Asia. The firm’s total assets under management in the region now top USD 2bn.
Australia's Saluda Medical raises $125m
US-based healthcare investor Redmile Group has led a USD 125m round for Australia’s Saluda Medical, a devices company focused on spinal cord stimulation.
India edtech player Filo gets $23m Series A
Filos, an India-based instant live-tutoring platform, has raised USD 23m in Series A funding led by US investor Anthos Capital. It is said to be the largest-ever Series A in India’s education technology space.
China's VC-backed Perfect Corp agrees $1bn SPAC merger
Perfect Corp, a Chinese software developer specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) solutions that allow consumers to experience brands, has agreed to merge with a US-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) at...